The Adventures of Pippin Gardner
by RangerHal
Summary: In the year 1442(SR), Samwise Gardner (formally Gamgee), his wife Rosie, and their oldest daughter Elanor went to Gondor for a year. But little Pippin, Samwise's adventureous 13 year old son, wants to go too!


A.N.: I own nothing. Everything I have based this story on can be found in the Appendixes of Lord of the Rings. This story takes place early summer/late spring of the year 1442(SR), or year 20 FA. Please review and tell me what you think. If you have suggestions, I will most gratefully look into them and incorporate them into the story if they fit with the plot. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME Please enjoy my story. 

"Oh, Mum! Can't I come?"

Rosie Gardner placed the last of the dinner plates on the table and sighed. "For the last time, Pippin: No."

Pippin looked up at his mother with large, pleading eyes. "But, Mum. He gets to go." He said as he pointed to her swollen belly.

Rosie couldn't help but smile at her young son's innocent honesty. She stopped slicing bread and placed one hand on her stomach and one hand on the lads tawny head. "Ah, but this little one can't help that. Besides, Pippin, I need you here to look after the little ones and help your Uncle Tom. Can you do that for me?"

The lad nodded solemnly but was uncomforted still. His mother and father‑ Samwise Gardner (formally Gamgee) ‑ were going to Gondor for a whole year, and they were to be personal guests of King Elessar. With all the stories his father had told him, Pippin wanted nothing more than to go to Minas Tirith. Yet, the journey was too long and too hard for all twelve‑ soon to be thirteen‑ Gardner children to go. So it was decided that Elanor, the eldest and personal friend of Queen Arwen, was to go. Frodo, the second eldest, and Rose, the third eldest, was to take care of the home. The rest of the children would go stay with their mother's brother, Tolman Cotton, who would also acting as deputy mayor while Master Samwise was away.

Rosie noticed Pippin's melancholy and gave the boy a hug. "Now don't be sad, my love. The time will go quicker than you think. Now go on outside and play a little while before dinner." With a gentle push, she ushered Pippin out of the kitchen.

Time was not what had made Pippin sad. It was the fact that his family was going on a great adventure –or what he thought to be an adventure‑ without him. Pippin loved a good adventure, and was loath to miss this one. Always he was in and out of trouble because of it.

Now it is not admirable for hobbits to be adventurers, and very few were._ Yet, Pippin and a few of his brothers and sisters were not average hobbit children. Many said they were more akin to the elves than sensible hobbits ought to be, but none faulted the children for it, for they were fair of face and gentle in manners. And despite being rather small for a hobbit of thirteen years –only about two feet tall‑, he was lithe, a fast runner, and very smart. 

So with a heavy heart, Pippin made his way out the back door and into the back gardens where the children were allowed to play. Many of his brothers and sisters were already there: Merry, the eldest outside today at 15, sat near the old tree reading and occasionally looking up to check on the younger ones; Goldilocks, the second eldest at 11, was playing jumping rope with Daisy ‑9‑, and Primrose ‑7‑; and lastly Pippin spied Hamfast ‑10‑ inspecting a bug by the large rock in the middle of the garden. On a day when he was less morose, Pippin would have joined his brother and no doubt the two would have concocted an adventure to go on, for they were very close._ As is stood today, Pippin merely sat down beside Hammy –as he called him‑ and placed his chin firmly in his hands.

  


"What's wrong with you, Bill?" Hammy asked, still spying on his bug, which upon closer inspection Pippin found to be a large green beetle. 

"Mama still says I can't go," He replied. 

"Aw, don't worry 'bout that. None of us can go. Besides, we always have fun at Uncle Tom's."

"But I want to see the city!" Pippin exclaimed. "I don't know why we all can't go."

Hammy looked at his brother closely. "Didn't you listen to Da the last time you asked? He said, 'We can barely keep track of all of you 'ere at home, let alone on the road and inside the city. That's that and it's final.'" As Hammy spoke his father's words he did his best imitation of him, which even caused Pippin to smile. A little.

_"Oh, come on, Bill!" Hammy said, picking the green beetle up. "Don't be too sad just yet. They aren't leaving for another month and that is more than enough time to try to convince Da otherwise." This caused both boys to giggle and made Pippin's heart a little lighter. 

With a broad smile, Pippin hopped to his feet. His troubles forgotten for the moment, a mischievous look came into his eyes. "I know a great place to put that beetle that will just make Elanor scream¼."_ 

                                                          ********************************

The month passed quickly, more quickly than Pippin liked. He continued to prod his father and beg his mother, but it soon was the day before they all left and the answer was still a firm 'No'. All of the bags and luggage had finished being packed today and tomorrow they would load up and go to Uncle Toms. Pippin lay in bed that night and thought and thought. He had to figure out a way to go. He felt he would burst if he was left behind. 

  


As the night wore on, he did fall asleep but he dreamt of Gollum and Frodo Nine‑Fingers, the most famousness hobbit ever, and of the Ring of Doom. There were elves, men, dwarves, and even wizards in his dreams. And there was a great stone city with a brilliant white tower. He even dreamt of old Bilbo Baggins and of riddles in the deep caves of the Misty Mountains . When he woke in the morning the burning inside to go with his parents became even stronger.

Thus the day came and the family was loaded up into a great wagon. It was not far to Uncle Tom's farm but there was much luggage for all 10 of the children who would be staying, plus another wagon that would be going with Master Samwise, Mistress Roseie and Elanor. Frodo and Rose waved good‑bye and Pippin reluctantly waved back. 

The family spent the night at Uncle Tolman's and there was much feasting, dancing and plenty of ale –for the grown‑ups. Late the next morning everyone was gathered beside the large wagon, making last preparations for the three travelers to leave. By this point, Pippin was desperate. There was much confusion and fuss over the wagon and it was then that Pippin got an idea. He could easily hide under some packs and go unnoticed inside the wagon for days. By then, they wouldn't be able to send him home and they would have to take him with them. It was a flawless plan, if he could just get inside that wagon unnoticed.

No body was paying much attention at all to him, so he slipped back inside and gathered a small pack of his clothing, which he had not even bothered to unpack yet. He put his cloak on and slipped back outside. He was just about to carry out his plan when Hamfast found him sneaking near the wagon.

"What are you doing over here, Pip?" Hammy asked suspiciously.

"I'm going, Hammy," he replied in a whisper. "Whether they want me or not, I'm going."

Hammy looked at him for a moment then a look of knowing came over his face. "Right. I'll cover for you, but you owe me when you get back."

Pippin smiled and gave his brother a hug. "I will. You can have anything you want when I get back. I'll miss you, Hammy."

  


"I'll miss you too, Pip. Now go, or you'll get caught and we'll both be in trouble." With that, Merry went off to join a few of his brothers and sisters. Within moments, he managed to enrage Goldilocks and soon there was a full blown fight. The fight soon became physical and Goldi had poor Hammy on the ground and was punching at him. This all, of course attracted the attention of the adults. Pippin took a moment to silently thank Hammy for creating this distraction, at the cost of his own skin, and then seized the moment to dash to the wagon. He climbed in and hid himself under a few large packs. He made himself comfortable and prepared to lay very still for a very long time.

He layed there for what seemed like an eternity before the wagon actually began to move. Then when it did, it didn't seem to stop for an eternity again. He could hear little of what was going on outside, but he knew that his parents were supposed to stop and stay with some friends near the Bridge of Stonebows, just outside of Buckland. So when he could hear nothing going on outside or even near the wagon, he dug himself back out of the packs and listened even closer. He noted that it was very dark, no doubt near midnight. He smelled hay, and horses, so he guessed that the wagon was parked inside a barn. He could hear voices, but distantly. So he gingerly climbed out of the wagon and took care of personal 'business'. Then after sneaking some food and stretching a bit, he climbed back into the wagon and tried to sleep.

It went like this for several days. Hiding during the day, sneaking food and stretching a bit at night. After they had passed through Bree, this ritual became a tad bit trickier. Instead of staying inside at night, the 'grown-ups' started to camp outside. This meant that he had to be extra quiet and extra careful. Yet, as it has been stated before, Pippin was a clever little hobbit and managed to pull the feat off.

Near the River Gwathlo, Pippin's luck changed. He came out of the wagon as usual, but he was extra stiff this evening. He noted that they were camped near a river- he didn't know the name- so he decided to have a bath. The water was very cold, but it was the first time in his life he actually wanted to bathe and it felt very good. He was just coming back to the wagon to sneak some food when he was suddenly picked clear off his feet. He was about to scream, but a very large hand covered his mouth. In fact, the hand covered his whole face. 

"So this is the little stow-away," a low, gruff voice said in a harsh whisper. 


End file.
